‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’…Rare Shots & Interesting Facts
‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’…Rare Shots & Interesting Facts
Until last week, the bedroom scene photo was the only one I had ever seen of this show in production. In that one, you can see director Jerry Paris just behind Dick in his famous red sweater.
The show was shot at Desilu Studios and in this new photo from the audience area, we get a good look at the homebase set. This was the last major primetime series to have its entire run filmed in black and white. The show was due to be shot in color after the 5th year, but that never happened because of the cast and producers decision to end the show after 5 years.
Sally Rogers was the first woman on an American television show to portray a solely independent woman. Before that, women were mostly cast as housewives. The character of Sally Rogers was inspired by Lucille Kallen, who wrote for ‘Your Show of Shows’ and Selma Diamond who wrote for ‘Caesar’s Hour’.
The show’s production company was called Calvada Productions. The name came from the names of all of the key persons involved in production: Carl Reiner, Sheldon Leonard, Dick Van Dyke and Danny Thomas. In one program, co-producer, Leonard played a character called “Big Max Calvada”.
The series originally was to focus on Rob at the office with Sally Rogers as the lead female character and Laura as a minor one. The character of Laura became so popular that Mary Tyler Moore became the lead female character and more of the focus of the show shifted to the relationship between Rob and Laura. Many times situations at the office were still focused on Rob and Laura. This put a strain on the relationship between Rose Marie and Mary Tyler Moore, and while the two ladies got along well, they never became close friends.
Morey Amsterdam and Richard Deacon (Mel) were actually close friends. According to Deacon, many of the best insults Buddy hurled at Mel were worked out when the two went out for drinks after work. During Richard Deacon’s first season as Mel Cooley, he was also finishing up the last season as Fred Rutherford on ‘Leave It to Beaver’.
Final fact…did you know Johnny Carson was a runner-up for the role of Rob Petrie? Enjoy and share!
What a great insight. Thanks
Thank you!
Particularly interesting that CBS actually canceled this show after its 1st season (1961-62), but reversed its decision after Sheldon Leonard convinced the network that this ensemble had just hit a new stride.
Paula karaffa knight
Thanks Mark for this post & site!!!! Martin Gould & all, Loved Richard Deacon as Mel too & nice learning that he & Morey Amsterdam were friends & worked out their insults over drinks.
Remember this one:
In a heated discussion in the office:….
Rob: “Mel, I’ll go over your head!!!
Buddy: “Watch it Rob it’s slippery up there!”
This show brought so much happiness to so many!!!!
Here’s another one. That 1964 episode in which a trio of former radio stars appear features Arlene “Chatterbox” Harris. Both Ms. Harris and Morey Amsterdam had been regulars on the radio comedy series AL PEARCE AND HIS GANG, so it looks like Morey was responsible for this guest shot.
First show I ever saw being filmed. I must have been 10 or 11. The office was on the other side of the kitchen. Whole show, two sets. Ran just like a play, we were in and out, they were flawless.
my daughter has type one and thankgod MTM is such a good role model for that very challenging way of life. my heart goes out to her in many ways. and yay for early black and white tv. before we were inundated with Living Color.
Love this!
Richard Deacon graduated from Ithaca College. He was our guest speaker at an AERho dinner in 1976. Very nice man.
How times change…..Interesting story.
I became friends with Morey Amsterdam on his 3 trips to South Central NY, and Richard Deacon was from Binghamton…on one of the trips I mention to Morey that Slam Stewart lived in town (Flat Foot Floogie) scat singing bowing bassist…Morey’s eyes lit up, he had done the music for Morey’s DuMont show!
Wonderful History FunFacts
Thank you
I’m curious … what kinds of cameras were used on that show? They seem to be of a variety I’ve never seen before.
Jerry Paris (still wearing his “famous red sweater”) would go on to direct most of the live studio audience episodes of “Happy Days” on Stage 19 at Paramount (the same soundstage used for the filming of Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”). It was one of the first shows that I worked on as a newly-hired ABC Page in 1980. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Mitchell 35mm film cameras seen in these photos were the ones also used on “Happy Days” (because of the Desilu / Paramount back history).